Shipwreck at Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands Claims Two

Fourteen people who survived a shipwreck near Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands and the bodies of two people killed in the accident arrived Tuesday at the port of Manta, while the search continues for three missing crew members, the media reported.

Last Wednesday, the fishing boat Tuna I sank near the Galapagos Islands due to weather conditions, according to crew members, and Ecuadorian officials are continuing their efforts to determine the exact cause or causes of the accident, Ecuavisa television said.

The 14 survivors arrived Tuesday at Manta and were attended to by doctors, who treated the serious sunburns they had suffered.

One of the survivors, Efren Flores, said that they had collected “racks and ropes from everyone to build a raft” on which they managed to survive, an account which agrees with other statements gathered by Ecuavisa.

Meanwhile, the owner of the boat, Jorge Parrales, emphasized to the network that the search will not end with the arrival of the survivors and bodies, given that the firm continues to be “concerned” about finding the missing crew members.

According to the fisherman, two huge waves caused the boat to capsize.

The Galapagos Islands are located about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) west of the coast of continental Ecuador and were named the first World Natural Heritage Site in 1978.